Is This The 2017 R36 Nissan GT-R?

Look at these rumors surrounding me every day. Motor Trend is reporting that the next generation Nissan GT-R, the R36 may go hybrid. This rumor has popped up several times, but we haven't seen any real solid information about it.

The 2014 Nissan GT-R represents the fifth revision of the R35 series GT-R since its launch. We hear that at least two more updates to the present Godzilla are in the works and that the R35 will live on until at least 2015, though our source says it could be around until as late as 2017. The extended timeframe could be good news, as we've heard that Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn only recently lit the green light to begin development of a new GT-R

The problem of course with going with a hybrid is weight. Can Nissan afford to add several hundred pounds of batteries and electric motors to turn the GT-R into a hybrid. There are some mild hybrid type systems out there, along with super capacitors that can store energy with less weight than a battery. More carbon fiber, or a smaller package could also drop weight, along with possibly a different engine layout or perhaps not even a turbo engine. The boost of power coming via a kind of KERS or stored energy for those short bursts of power.

The second option is a "turbo compressor and generator setup" still in the testing stages. Seen as a mere "assist" device for the current powertrain, a newly fitted drive motor could be designed to slot right inside the car's rear transaxle. "The GT-R would also have to employ a start-stop device as well as cylinder deactivation technology to get CO2 down," says our insider.